There are a number of catheters for infusion available; most of which have not been tested for prolonged intermittent suprasystolic pressures and some of the commonly used catheter balloons have difficulty with maintaining their integrity. See, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,817,046 or Thoracic Surgery 2000; 70: 1264-9.
There are implantable systems used for haemodialysis using external fistulae. The function of such systems is to filter blood at low pressures. Most systems remove and filter and return blood to the venous circulation. These systems are not used for intermittent hyperperfusion for ischemia as fistulae under these circumstances render the limb even more ischemic. Furthermore, such a fistula creates a “steal” phenomenon and chronically reduces total inflow pressure to the distal ischemic part. This is the mediator of the vessel proliferation via secretion of proliferative hormones. Furthermore, the anastomotic techniques required at normal pressures would not withstand the hyperperfusion pressures. A cannulation system for perfusing a patient's circulatory system has been disclosed in PCT/AU2005/0001300. The use of regional perfusion in tumours has been disclosed and available since the 1950's. Demonstration of high concentration of cytotoxic drugs has been delivered intra-arterially with occlusion of the venous system, via ligature tourniquet. See, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,069,662.
However, there is a need for improved systems, methods and devices that permits drugs or other treatment products to be delivered using regional, isolated, or partially isolated, hyperperfusion to targeted areas by the use of arterial and venous access system and associated catheters and balloons which allow repeatable, transcutaneous insertion without any need for repeat anaesthesia. There is also a need for improved systems, methods, and devices that permits drugs or other treatment products to be delivered using regional, isolated, or partially isolated means and which allow repeatable intermittent access without any need for repeat anaesthesia. There is also a need for systems, methods, and devices that permit drugs or other treatment products to be delivered using regional hyperperfusion to targeted areas with no, or limited, contact with the circulatory system of the warm blooded animal which allow repeatable and intermediate access to the treatment area without any need for repeat anaesthesia. In addition, there is also a need for such systems, methods, and devices that may be combined with such systems, methods and devices that have contact with the circulatory system of the warm blooded animal. There is also a need for systems, methods and devices that use implanted device(s) and/or balloon catheter(s) to permit regional hyperperfusion, regional targeting of therapeutics agents and/or provide for intermittent and recurrent access to the arterial and/or venous circulation of warm blooded animals. In addition, a need exists for systems, methods and devices that can be used to treat targeted regions or target organs of warm blooded animals, such as for systems, methods and devices for the intermittent and recurrent cannulation that allows for isolation (both arterial and venous) of a body part or parts, region or regions, organ or organs, or limb or limbs from the remainder of the systemic circulation. There is also a need for systems, methods, and devices wherein a therapeutic agent and circulating blood or fluid can, if desired, be discarded or partially removed from the body, such as to reduce or minimize the negative impact of higher concentrations of therapeutics agents and/or side effects of a treatment on the body. There is also a need for systems, methods, and devices that use specific types of balloon catheters for use in certain treatments and that have an improved access system design and features, such as; a design for simultaneous access to the arterial and venous circulation, and/or a design for the use of a hyperperfusion system without the use of balloon catheters. These and other advantages are disclosed herein. For the foregoing reasons, it is desirable to have improved systems, methods and devices that permit access to a warm blood animal's circulatory system.